Burris: President Carter Likes Me In the Senate

Illinois’s Senate appointee Roland Burris emerged from his meeting Wednesday with top Democrats happy with what transpired and touting a phone call he received from former President Jimmy Carter.

During a news conference, Burris said that he had a great meeting with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

“But I had an important phone call before I went to that meeting, and that phone call was from my friend, president — former president of the United States, Jimmy Carter,” Burris said. “And we chatted very briefly, and he indicated to me to ‘just tell everybody I said when you’re in the Senate, Roland, you will make a great senator.’ And I said, ‘Thank you very much, Mr. President.'”

Burris said that he will shortly have the opportunity to become senator. He added that Reid was “a very warm and charming gentleman” and that he told Reid about his personal and public service background.

“So I’m very pleased this afternoon. I’m happy,” Burris said. “My whole interest in this experience has been to be prepared, Roland, to represent my great state.”

Reid, during his own news conference, called the meeting “very positive,” but he said that the best way for Burris to become senator is for embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.) to resign and to have his successor appoint Burris.